American Hindus Turn to Computer Dating to Replace Matchmakers

While finding someone to marry with your same background is a cultural choice, it is also a spiritual one to keep up the traditions of a religion. I guess the occupation of matchmaker is not only going out of style but it’s being replaced by computer dating, especially for ethnic groups like the Indian-American Hindus. While the majority of people in India are Hindu, it’s difficult for Hindus in other countries to find partners for the same religious and cultural backgrounds, reports Megan Sweas in The Huffington Post (Religious Section). There are also dating “mixers” where prospective partners can meet each other on neutral territory, so to speak. Here’s part of what Megan writes.

American Hindus Turned to Computer Dating to Replace Matchmakers

Within Indian culture (which is predominantly Hindu), marriage is as much about families coming together as it is about couples coming together. Hinduism orders Afamilies into four major castes and thousands of sub-castes, each with their own particular ritual role or profession. Ideally, a couple must be in the same sub-caste, region and religion. Priests also compare their horoscopes to ensure compatibility.
Especially in Indian villages, matchmaking tends to be informal, using "extensive kinship networks," said Lindsey Harlan, chair of religious studies at Connecticut College. When an Indian gets to a marriageable age, "aunties," who are not necessarily related, start looking out for potential life partners.
"When you're working, it's really difficult to meet people," Thakur said. "You go there, you meet someone. You can meet them a few times. It's basically semi-arranged."
Thakur's desire to marry reflects Indians' traditional values at a time when only 51 percent of American adults are wed, according to 2010 Census data.
"It's not like a flirty or just everyday kind of party," Mittal said. "From the girls' side or boys' side, they are both serious about finding a life partner."
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Here is a selection from the Hindu matchmaking online service, Bharatmatchmaking.com about using mobile phone to hook up with that ideal partner.

Mobile Matrimony - Get matched through your mobile

BharatMatrimony Mobile Apps can now help you find a life partner right from your mobile phone. You can search and contact your matches from your mobile anytime, anywhere. You can login to your account, check your latest interests and messages and reply to them while on the move. All actions done on your mobile will be simultaneously updated on the site.

I’d like to tell you a short story. At one time an Indian-American woman came to me for a reading. She was a respected and well paid dentist in the US. She wanted to know if she should marry the Indian man in India that her parents (who were still living in India) had found for her to marry. What was I to say? It was not my culture, but it seemed rather extreme that she should marry a man she had only met once who had grown up in a very traditional way. What would happen to her job? I was at a loss to know what to say. What would you say if you were in my shoes? Leave a comment below to let me know.